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A Vibrant Platform At The Service Of Cluster Organisations

The European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) is an action of the Cluster Internationalisation Programme for SMEs funded under COSME launched by DG GROW of the European Commission in 2016.
The ECCP provides networking and information support for clusters and their members aiming to improve their performance and increase their competitiveness through trans-national and international cooperation.

About Cluster Organisations

This is the stage on which cluster organisations present themselves - their structures, services, experiences and above all, their interest in cooperation with peers. We invite you to explore this diverse cluster community, identify your potential cooperation partner and show the world what you are good at - by profiling your organisation !

What is ESCP-S3 ?

The European Strategic Cluster Partnerships for smart specialisation investments (ESCP-S3) are transnational cluster partnerships that support cluster cooperation in thematic areas related to regional smart specialisation strategies and to increase the involvement of the industry in the context of the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation.

What is ESCP-4i?

The European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International (ESCPs-4i) are transnational cluster partnerships that develop and implement a joint internationalination strategy and support SME internationalisation towards third countries beyond Europe.

What are ESCPs ?

The European Strategic Cluster Partnerships have been launched by the European Commission as effective means of supporting cross-border collaboration for the benefit of SMEs with the ultimate goal of boosting economic growth and competitiveness in Europe.

About matchmaking events

ECCP organises inter-European matchmaking events, as well as opportunities for you to meet your peers from other countries – either in EU or abroad. Find also additional international matchmaking opportunities promoted here.

About European Cluster Initiatives

As an information hub, ECCP collects and structures a wide variety of information relevant for cluster organisations from various European programmes and initiatives like the ones below.
These are supporting in different ways the interaction between clusters and for driving the competitiveness of European businesses. We offer you here the unique opportunity to find out more about the most relevant cluster-related projects and what you can learn from them. Or, why not, cooperate with them!

Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) are a common policy lever at regional level within the EU. They aim at supporting regions in achieving structural change in order to generate the innovation and growth needed to harness globalization. However, recent experiences show that the identification and development of transformative activities - i.e. the innovation capacities and actions that have the potential to lead to this structural change - remain a significant challenge in the practical implementation of S3. S3-4AlpClusters tackles the two identified roots of this challenge. Firstly, there is a lack of experience among regions on how to use clusters to implement S3. Secondly, real transformative activities could often be developed more successfully in a joint effort across regional borders. The activities of the project are structured in 3 phases and driven by stakeholders from 11 regions. All relevant actors of an interactive innovation process are taking part: academic researchers, industry professionals, authorities and customers. The first phase spanned from 2016 to 2017 and aimed at analysing the challenges of S3-related policymaking and the current role of clusters in that process, as well as identifying potentials for complementarity and synergy between regions. The identified challenges were addressed in a second phase, in 2017 and 2018, through the elaboration of a systematic process for the identification and development of transformative activities. The partnership also developed practical tools for process implementation, and for the facilitation of need-based interregional cooperation through cluster initiatives. In the third phase (currently running) the tools and processes are applied and tested in 30 pilot clusters across the Alpine Space, contributing to the identification of new transformative activities and significantly facilitating their joint development across regions.

For now (october 2018) we have two main outputs: a cluster action plan and a S3-Innovation model

Cluster Action Plan

The ALPINE SPACE CLUSTER ACTION PLAN (CAP) is the result of the activities and new insights gained within the S3-4AlpCluster project. The CAP systemic thinking allows for exploration on the micro-regional as well as on the macro-regional level at which meaningful economic development initiatives take place. It is shifting linear models to impact where transformative activities match scale of economic activities in terms of critical mass and threshold of transactions. It strives to articulate transformative activities informed by market forces and a focus on business areas with the largest economic and innovation potential based on strengths and comparative advantages of the regions. See Cluster Action Plan

S3-Innovation Model

The project specifically aims at facilitating innovation through cluster initiatives and initiating interregional cooperation for the implementation of S3. It introduces a systematic process, the S3-Innovation model, which relies on the involvement of clusters for the identification and development of transformative activities. Tools are provided for each phase of the process: StressTests and Synergy-Diamonds are used as an innovative way of depicting existing capacities and detecting opportunities for structural transformation, both within and across regions. Entrepreneurial discovery workshops (EDW) build on this base of evidence in order to identify real transformative activities. Next, action development workshops (ADW) allow working out concrete actions - such as R&D projects, networking or development of critical skills – in order to gain critical mass for the identified transformative activities. The implementation of these actions is supported by a collection of best practices of cluster services covering transversal fields such as education, technology, growth, research or collaboration. The partnership puts particular focus on facilitating the cross-regional implementation of actions, with the initiation of an interregional cooperation scheme (Alpine Cluster Innovation Express – ACIE). It is funded via existing regional programmes. The intent is aligning those existing funds and launching joint calls for the implementation of cross-regional actions. Finally, the S3- Innovation model also includes a methodology for evaluation and monitoring of the process. Hitherto, the project has generated a solid knowledge base on S3 and identified more than 100 transformative activities in the 11 participating regions. The running third phase will further develop the most promising of the identified transformative activities. The entire process will be tested in pilot clusters and result in a full training kit for cluster managers and regions by the end of the project. See S3-Innovation Model